IB PAS's entry into accessibility (DOSTEP)

Summary

The W. Szafer Institute of Botany of the Polish Academy of Sciences (Leader) and the Foundation of the Institute for Regional Development (Partner), within the framework of the European Funds for Social Development 2021–2027 programme co-financed by the European Social Fund Plus, are implementing a project aimed at removing barriers to access to science and education for people with special needs due to their health condition, including persons with disabilities (PwD), who study, work or cooperate with IB PAS or use its services.

During the project (from September 1, 2024 to February 28, 2027), it is planned to:

1. Organize the environment for the implementation of PwD support.
2. Disseminate information on the PwD support environment on the website in an accessible form.
3. Creation and/or supplementation of procedures for PwD support.
4. Improving the knowledge of the IB PAS staff in the field of disability through participation in awareness and specialist training.
5. Obtaining detailed knowledge of existing architectural information and communication barriers.
6. Development of a catalogue of services supporting PwD doctoral students to be disseminated in an accessible form on the website and used in the creation of a long-term policy to eliminate barriers to the accessibility of PwD to education and scientific work.

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Project results

1. Organize the environment for the implementation of PwD support by:
   • creating an Accessibility Unit permanently embedded in the IB PAS organizational structure with a fully accessible architecture and accessible in terms of information, communication and digital resources and equipped with assistive technologies – in progress: work is underway to develop the principles of operation of the Support Office, i.e. the mission, scope of competences of the Support Office, its connection with the organizational structure of the Doctoral School through the tasks of the Educational Advisor; a contractor has been selected to carry out the modernization of the room in order to prepare the Support Office at ul. Lubicz 46 in Kraków;
   • improving the digital accessibility of the IB PAS websites – in progress: the website was commissioned by perfekcyjneStrony.pl; the website is currently being tested and the content is being gradually made available;
   • improving the information and communication accessibility of the lecture and conference room used by doctoral students and IB PAS staff for educational purposes (including teaching as part of the Doctoral School) and for scientific purposes – in progress: works related to the process of implementing the investment to make level 1 available in building B at ul. Lubicz 46 in Kraków are in progress.
2. Disseminate information on the PwD support environment on the website in an accessible form – in progress: on-site inspections of all IB PAS buildings have been carried out; work is underway to make the results of verification of the architectural accessibility of IB PAS buildings used by doctoral students of the Doctoral School available on the website.
3. Creation and/or supplementation of procedures for PwD support – in progress: work is underway on internal procedures related to the organizational structure of support for PwD at IB PAS and IB PAS procedures improving accessibility for PwD.
4. Improving the knowledge of the IB PAS staff in the field of disability through participation in awareness and specialist training.
5. Obtaining detailed knowledge of existing architectural information and communication barriers – in progress: work is underway to determine the information and communication accessibility of IB PAS; on-site inspections of all IB PAS buildings have been carried out; information on the website about barriers and plans to eliminate them are being developed.
6. Development of a catalogue of services supporting PwD doctoral students to be disseminated in an accessible form on the website and used in the creation of a long-term policy to eliminate barriers to the accessibility of PwD to education and scientific work – in progress: work was underway on the accessibility of the Doctoral School documents and on changes in the Doctoral School regulations regarding the accessibility of the education and recruitment process; work was continued on finding sources of expenses related to supporting educational activities and on a catalogue of services supporting the education of people with special needs to be disseminated on the website.

Reporting non-compliance of EFSD projects with the provisions of the CRPD

It is possible to report to the Managing Authority or the Intermediary Institution suspicions of non-compliance of the project or the beneficiary's activities with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, drawn up in New York on 13 December 2006 (Journal of Laws of 2012, item 1169, as amended), hereinafter referred to as the "CRPD". Signals, reports or complaints regarding the occurrence of non-compliance of EFSD projects with the provisions of the CRPD may be submitted by individuals (project participants or their proxies and representatives), institutions participating in the implementation of European Union funds, the social side (associations, foundations), by means of (in each of the following cases the report is considered to have been submitted in writing):

1. traditional mail – in the form of a letter to the address of the ministry (Ministry of Funds and Regional Policy, 2/4 Wspólna Street, 00-926 Warsaw) or the address of the Intermediary Institution (National Centre for Research and Development, 69 Chmielna Street, 00-801 Warsaw);
2. e-PUAP mailbox of the Ministry of Funds and Regional Policy or the National Centre for Research and Development.

Photo: pexels.com.